Apple’s new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will begin arriving to customers this Tuesday, October 26, and ahead of time, media publications and YouTube channels have lifted the ban on first reviews of the notebook.
We’ve rounded up more video reviews of the new MacBook Pro models in a separate story, while highlights from the written reviews can be found below.
Performance: M1 Pro and M1 Max
Both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros can be configured with the M1 Pro or M1 Max, both chips featuring a 10-core CPU. The difference between the chips comes down to graphics, with the M1 Pro available with up to a 16-core GPU and the M1 Max with up to a 32-core GPU.
The first Geekbench 5 benchmark results for the new MacBook Pro models revealed that the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips are 1.5 times faster than the M1 chip in lower-end Macs, while Apple says the M1 Max chip has 4 times faster graphics than the M1 chip.
Jason Snell shares a useful chart comparing benchmark scores six colors:
Mobile syrupBy Patrick O’Rourke:
In my time with the 14-inch MacBook Pro and its M1 Pro chip, I didn’t encounter a single instance of slowdown when editing photos with Lightroom and Photoshop CC, even when cutting video in Premiere CC while connected to 4K HDR. External monitor. In fact, the laptop’s fans only turn on when exporting a 4K video file
As we previously reported, 16-inch MacBook Pro models configured with the M1 Max chip feature a new High Power Mode designed to maximize performance during intensive, sustained workloads.
Design: Notches, Keyboard and more
Key design changes to the new MacBook Pro models include a notch at the top of the display that houses an upgraded 1080p webcam and an all-black design instead of a Touch Bar and a revamped keyboard with full-size function keys.
the edgeBy Niloy Patel:
And yes, there is a notch on the display, which we know will be polarizing, but I stopped noticing it pretty quickly, just like everyone stops seeing the notch on the iPhone. Will see how I feel about this thing after a few more days.
CNBCTodd Haselton’s:
I like that Apple got rid of the touch bar up top of the screen, which I didn’t find really useful on previous MacBook Pro models, and instead replaced it with full-sized function keys that are easy to tap to adjust volume, screen brightness. and more
Added ports: HDMI, SD card slot, and MagSafe
Apple has brought back many of the ports it removed earlier in 2016 on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, including an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and MagSafe for a magnetic power cable.
CNETDan Ackerman of:
It’s as if Apple designers decided to go through all the feedback they’ve received over the years and cherry-pick the top handful of requests from everyone’s wish list (apologies to those who want Mini-DisplayPort or DVI back). […]
HDMI is something people have been asking to get back. It’s great to be future-proof, but HDMI remains extremely useful, even if it’s converted to a legacy port. That’s why we had laptops with VGA ports for so many years after they disappeared. People have old or legacy devices like printers, projectors, displays, etc. and want to be able to plug them in immediately, with a simple cable that you might get lucky and have tucked away in the back of a desk drawer. .
Display: Mini-LED and Promotion
The new MacBook Pro models are equipped with a Liquid Retina XDR display with mini-LED backlighting for 3x higher brightness when viewing HDR content, while ProMotion Plus allows for an adaptive refresh rate at an energy-saving 24Hz and a smoother look. 120Hz depends on the type of content displayed on the screen.
GizmodoCaitlin McGarry of:
The new Pro displays are also upgraded with the iPad Pro’s promotional features, which are so good that using the laptop without it is now boring. Promotion, which is on by default, makes it so the Pro can adjust its refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz depending on what you’re doing. You can turn ProMotion off and use the Pro at a specific refresh rate (47.95Hz, 48Hz, 50Hz, 59.94Hz, or 60Hz), but I tried using it at 60Hz and after about a week saw the difference very clearly at 120Hz. . It’s really smooth when the promotion is on.
Battery life
Apple says the new MacBook Pro models get 10 hours more battery life per charge than previous-generation models.
EngadgetBy Devindra Hardawar:
[T]The ARM design efficiency of the M1 chip leads to excellent battery performance. The 14-inch MacBook Pro lasted 12 hours and 35 minutes in our benchmark, while the 16-inch lasted for 16 hours and 34 minutes. That’s five hours more than the last Intel model.
Key Takeaways
With much faster performance, the return of useful ports like HDMI and an SD card slot, and improved displays, the new MacBook Pro models check all the boxes for many professional users and are a very worthwhile upgrade.
TechCrunchBrian Hitter of:
Like the return of MagSafe, the abandonment of the Touch Bar is a prime example of why the new MacBooks are the best of the year. They introduce some key advances based on previous generations of technology and learning, and perhaps, most importantly, listen to user feedback. That means moving on from what doesn’t work and doubling down on what does, and above all, you never second-guess what’s best for the consumer – especially for highly specialized creative professionals.
Priced between $1,999 and $5,899, this isn’t quite the MacBook for everyone. For most consumers, the MacBook Air gets the job done — and then some. But if you’re someone who regularly pushes your machine to the limit, the new Pro is a great marriage of the line’s best components.
More reviews
- Pocket-lintIts Stuart Miles
- TechRadarIts Matt Hanson
- Tom’s GuideHenry T. Casey
- MacworldRoman Loyola
- PCMagby Tom Brant
MacRumors will share its own hands-on impressions of the new MacBook Pro later this week.
